2025 in progress.

Jan5

I hope it’s progress, anyway. So far I just seem to be jammed with chores and projects left from 2024. Is that normal? I just rather thought I’d pretty much have the month of January off, a restful winter break. Ha! even Bah Humbug! Well, I broke down and made a LIST! I think here on Jan 5, I have managed to check off two things. It’s not that that’s all I’ve done, it’s just things on the list. I have manage to fill the day with chores in between list projects, some of which are at least underway. I think the problem is that I’m getting old. I used to be able to deal with all this and never even notice. Well, the Golden age is not living up to it’s name. It’s more like the Rusty Tin age! lol Ah well, enough bitchin’ for today.

I did manage to get one project woven on our invented circle loom. That was not actually on the list, just one of those things we’ve discussed in the past and it came up again while shopping at the GoodWill in Redding the other day. We bought a 12″ knitting loom. A plastic ring with pegs all around. I thought I could use it for a peg loom, but there turned out to be a few things I did not think of in my enthusiasm for the idea. Like that the pegs were only about an inch tall and there was no hole for the warp strings. But Himself came to the rescue and made a set of drilled pegs with dowels. The problem with the large circle is that there are too many warp strings in the center of the bottom to make a flat bottom. I was using some elderly Caron 100% Dacron rug yarn with the original price of 79 cents. So the bundle of warp in the center was too big to bundle. I came up with a solution for that -after the fact- so it didn’t work very well here but I got a semi flat bottom to my bowl. I had planned it to be a basket but had to stop short this time. I’ll start from the bottom on the next one. I think it’ll work better. This one is only about 3″ deep. Himself thinks I could use this method to weave Rasta hats! I knitted one for my grandson years ago, like the 2nd one pictured. (That’s not mine, I can’t see to find a pic of it.) I guess it may be possible and I might try it later! The one with the braids definitely is a possible.

He’s making looms like crazy, I think he wants an entire years stock before the show season starts! lol I cannot keep up. Frankly, I’m not even trying to very hard. But I am getting things done in here tho they are still a little over whelming. Got the ceramic tree put back in storage. Got the houseplants back where they belong. My geraniums are all putting on blooms. I gave them a turn under the lights as they were not getting any sunshine from the widows lately and I didn’t want them getting really leggy. I guess the lights made them think it was spring. His 80 degree fires probably added to that! lol He can’t seem to get a Happy Medium. I just let it go out and rebuild when it starts cooling off but that is not the correct way according to him. I am not supposed to let it go out. Bah-Humbug! Ah well…We’ve only been married 40 years, I guess it takes time to get used to each others ways, huh?!

Just the two of us!

Okay, I spent a lot of time talking about how much I have to do so I supposed I ought to wish you all a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year and get on with my LIST! …and I do! I wish you all to accomplish just what you hope for this year and to stay safe in this chaotic world of today.

Hazel

Christmas Eve…

Dec24

Still morning before, actually, but close enough. Somehow I got involved with my stash storage/bedroom. Was not my intention to spend today that way! But things happen. It started out with Himself commenting on how hard it was to get to the movie storage with all my projects piling up there. So I started “organizing”. That’s a thing I never have been very good at but one thing lead to another and here I am. Nowhere. Yes, I got the pile of projects next to my chair cleared out so he can find his movies but we aren’t going to be able to go to bed tonight until I get this taken care off. It wasn’t bad enough with just my stuff but now I have a bunch of Rosy’s unfinished projects that I thought I could finish for her. Hummm… But it was getting a little crowded on my side of the bed as things kept piling up. Can’t get out to Le Shed these days as there is still snow in spite of the rain. And that hasn’t helped, making things slushier and harder walking. I’m probably going to have to tackle the closet, too, in order to make room for the stuff on the bed! It is a vicious circle, isn’t it?! That old ‘going though life But first’. I’ll put this away But First I have to straighten out the closet!

And to further complicate things, I found Rosy’s set of cable needles which I hunted for a couple weeks ago for some project I’ve already forgotten. And in that bag was a couple of letters I sent to her in 2021. Newsletters I was writing back then for our new customers. I would like to do that again if I can figure out how to go about it. Kind of a chatty ‘what am I working on now and here’s a couple ideas for you’ sort of thing.

I know we all have UFO’s stashed away somewhere, it’s just a natural side effect of crafting. But I think some of us get carried away. I got an Idea yesterday and spent the day working it out. I was quite happy with the results but now I have another newly started project in the quay and am feeling guilty about that! Ah well… I think I am going to have to be immortal if I am going to finish all my projects! I’m sure at least some of you have had the problem! Wait! Maybe I should get out my small animal trap and see if I can catch one of Santa’s elves tonight! It would be a big help. Elf magic ought to get most of this stuff taken care of! Gosh, I should have thought of that years ago!

However, I still need to recover our bed so I guess I’d better just wish you Happy Christmas and get back to work!

Wishing You a Happy Christmas!

Hazel & Randy

Color

May14

The lesson for today says add some color. There is all kinds of color… and not all off it looks like a clowns wig. I kind of like what are called “earth tones”. In fact, I took that rather literally and gathered some dirt and started painting Dirty Pictures.

I am finally going to learn how to use this blog thing… I hope.

Apr22

The tutorial says I should: Tell us about you and what we’ll find on your blog.

Well, I am Hazel. I haven’t always been this old but have always been more or less arty. I guess my main ‘art form’ would be drawing, extended to painting, but I have always been interested in any art form that crosses my path. I’ve dabbled in many, no point in listing them here, it would take all day, but they range from fiber crafts to metal & wood work. My Pop was a rock hound and lapidarist (is that a word?) and I tried my hand at those forms, too. Momma taught me to crochet way back and my 4th grade teacher taught me to knit so yarn arts have always been in there, too. Is gardening an art? I don’t know that I have a green thumb but I enjoy my garden, too, both flowers and food. I’ve written some poetry and short stories, designed birthday and get well cards, written children’s picture books, directed siblings & off spring in musical plays, just for our own entertainment. i can pick out a ragged tun on piano, cord a guitar, and used to be able to tootle a tune on a clarinet or flute. Badly in all cases and sing along as well, probably badly at that, too, but with Gusto! Well, I still sing along in the car! Randy and I celebrated our 34th year yesterday and he is having a birthday poker party with the boys for his day today. I had mine a couple weeks ago, but we won’t talk about that. What else? Well, it’s already more than you wanted to know!

So what’ll you find on the blog? Pretty much what you have already found I’m sure. Stuff about the looms and my weaving projects. Stuff about my dolls and what I am making for them. Pictures of my garden and our trips hither and yon. Things I bake and can and a few pictures of the dogs and cats and the deer & other wild critters who wander though the place. We have two Stellar Jay nests this spring, there’ll be baby birds all over soon!

My checkered lilies are blooming again. and my peas are up. I’ll plant kale tomorrow. So there you have it for my first lesson in how to make a proper blog. I think it’ll get better. Well, to be honest, I hope it’ll get better!

But thank you for reading this, both of you, even if you are my sisters.

Valentines Loom!

Jan26

Just wanted to offer a few ideas if you were wondering what you could do with the SweetHeart Loom. We make them in a larger size now, too.

Make a gift tag or do a bit of beading around the edges!

A pencil topper to write I love you. A valentine to say I love you. A bookmark to keep you place in a book you love!

A needle book to keep things together. A case for your phone. Or you can just wear your heart on your sleeve!

I’m sure you’ll find a lot more way to use them and they are fun, too. Older children love weaving on them as well. A customer says she makes little sachets using two and adds then to the packages when she ships out orders of her handwovens. She also keeps a bag of them with her when she goes out and gives one to anyone who looks like they are having a bad day and can use a little love. She says she has changed kiddies sobs to smiles with these little “hugs”. So you can see there are plenty of ways to enjoy these little looms. I’m sure you’ll enjoy yours in natural woods or prettily painted.

Our Little SweetHeart.

Sep25

It came about via a customer request and even tho I have not yet posted it to the web site we are already getting orders! I did make a little you tube video on how to weave it so I guess that shows that there are a few people who actually look at my movie productions! That’s heartening!

But here’s out little SweetHeart. You can see it and the rest of them at Canby this coming weekend at OFFF. Bring your umbrella!

Some pictures

Jul31

Here’s a few of my pictures. I did a series of self portraits for a show, running them down through the years. I don’t have them all digital but it started in my 20’s and went on up to the present. They were titled In my 20’s, In my 30’s etc and on up to the last one ! lol

20’s (& painted in my 20’s as well)

This one is In my 60’s.. It’s a dirt painting & not true to life. It was one of the times I never got around to having my hair cut but it was not red by that time. Should have used the red for the back ground and the grey for my hair but I still like it. You can tell that I’ve learned a bit about life in the interim.

And lastly… In my dreams (When I was in high school I used to make 50 cent each painting ‘cheese cake’ on the hard hats of guys who worked on my dad’s survey crew!)

Well, painting is fun and I have made a few bucks, but probably not enough to pay for all the supplies I’ve bought though the years!

Spring Trip

Apr23

We spent our 28th anniversary and his 60th birthday on the road. Had a great time, too. Visited Death Valley.

and Las Vegas along with many other places along the way. I have way toop many pictures to share here, tho.

We say Donnie and Marie and they were great. What energy they have for people who are no longer really young!

We walked The Strip by night, a year-round Marti Gras! But we also spent time in the desert, quiet, cool and peaceful for the most part. It started to get warm by the time we got home and the streams are up and running today with the temps in the 80’s!

This is Walker lake, the most colorful lake I ever remember seeing. We spent an afternoon and night here. You will swear this is a painting but it is not and i did not do anything to the photo, it is just as it really looked.